Kids Get Headaches Too

Kids, not just adults, get headaches. Luckily in children, few headaches are caused by serious conditions, such as a
tumors, infections, or a
head injury. Regardless, common headaches can be painful and distracting for children.

Childhood Headache Tips for Parents

Pay Attention to a Headache

Although some kids will pretend to have headaches or tummy aches to avoid things they don’t want to do, most childhood headaches are real. Some children have
migraines
and others have
tension-type headaches. Migraines can be triggered by stress, food, or environmental factors, such as noise or bright lights. Tension-type headaches can be a response to stress or challenges at school, home, work, or among friends.

Find Headache Relief

Take your child to the doctor for help with headaches. Your child may need medication or changes in their daily routine, such as diet, exercise, and rest. If over time, your doctor is not able to treat or manage the headaches, ask for a referral to a pediatric neurologist or headache specialist.

Your child may also be referred to a therapist. Therapy may reduce the length and frequency of migraine headaches. It may be used with or without medication and may include cognitive behavioral therapy, biofeedback, or relaxation methods.

Gum chewing and teeth grinding have also been shown to cause headaches in children. If your child chews gum or grind their teeth excessively, you may want to encourage ending the habit.

Take It Easy

Kids who get headaches can participate in most activities, but sometimes it will be best to just take it easy. Do not commit a child with headaches to too many activities. Leave some time for rest and relaxation. Overall, kids who get headaches will benefit from balanced, nutritious meals (especially breakfast), regular sleep patterns (including a full night’s sleep), and exercise. Although exercise may help relieve tension, it may not be a good idea for your child to exert himself during a headache.

Tell Teachers and School Staff

Your child spends a lot of the day at school, so you need to make teachers and school staff aware of your child’s headaches. Have your doctor write a note explaining any medications and special instructions, such as rest or recovery periods. Make sure that your child is allowed to take medication when needed. Migraines, for example, should be treated as soon as your child senses one coming on. Waiting until class ends is likely to lead to a much more severe migraine and a longer recovery period. Children with headaches may need to miss school, but if your child is missing school often, you should seek further medical attention.

The Headache Diary

If your child has headaches, encourage keeping a headache diary to help recognize when and why the headaches happen. Take this information to your child’s doctor because it will help to determine the cause of the headaches and create a treatment or prevention plan.

The National Headache Foundation suggests the following questions for your child’s headache diary:

What does the headache feel like?

Where is the pain located?

Does your headache appear without warning or are there signs of it coming, such as weakness, nausea, lightheadedness, or sensitivity to light or noise?

Do you see bright lights, blind spots, or changes in vision?

Do headaches occur after eating certain foods or drinking certain beverages such as caffeinated soft drinks, pizza, or chocolate?

Do certain situations, events, or physical activity produce a headache?

When do the headaches occur—once a week, twice a week, once a month?

Does anyone else in your family have headaches?

When Is Further Evaluation Necessary?

Most headaches in children are due to migraine, muscle tension, or other benign causes and rarely need more evaluation than a careful history and physical examination. Headaches may, however, be a symptom of serious health problems and need further study. Every child’s headache needs to be evaluated individually. But, in general, the following symptoms justify further evaluation:

Weakness, visual or speech difficulties, or a change in personality

Vomiting in association with headaches

Headaches that awaken a child at night or are there when they wake in the morning

Headaches in association with excessive urination or unusually early development of puberty or failure to menstruate when expected

Headaches that worsen steadily in severity or frequency over days or weeks, change in a long-established pattern of headache, or the onset of a severe headache

Headache associated with
depression
or
anxiety—Further evaluation generally focuses on the anxiety or depression unless headaches meet one or more of the criteria above

This content is reviewed regularly and is updated when new and relevant evidence is made available. This information is neither intended nor implied to be a substitute for professional medical advice. Always seek the advice of your physician or other qualified health provider prior to starting any new treatment or with questions regarding a medical condition.